Fatal case of spotted fever in a patient from Northeastern Brazil

• Published in: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
• Main Authors: Stefan Vilges de Oliveira, Raylene Medeiros Ferreira Costa, Geane Ferreira, Simone Valéria Costa Pereira, Marinete Amorim, Maria Fernanda Melo Monteiro, Leucio Câmara Alves, Gilberto Salles Gazeta
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo (USP) 2018
• Subjects: Rickettsia; Differential diagnosis; Tick-borne diseases; Brazilian semi-arid; Caatinga biome; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/s1678-9946201860021; https://doaj.org/article/f840447021904aeeb3b040b127f04d3d

ABSTRACT Spotted fevers are diseases caused by bacterial agents belonging to the spotted-fever (SF) group of the genus Rickettsia. The first documented case of SF in Pernambuco State, Northeast Brazil, was reported here. Also, it is the first case described of fatal SF in Northeast region of Brazil. The patient was a resident of Arcoverde municipality and the probable site of infection lies in Sertania municipality, both in Pernambuco State, a semi-arid region of Brazil. The patient had not visited other areas where SF is endemic. The patient showed clinical manifestations and epidemiological exposure compatible with SF, and the infection was confirmed by molecular biology techniques.